Left - Season 2010/11

By Dan BuxtonLast updated : 02 July 2011

James Beattie#9Strikerd.o.b: 27/2/78Signed/Sold: January 2009/August 2010Games in last season: 13/11Goals in last season: 3Total club games: 29/11Total club goals: 10

Former England international striker signed with the job of leading the Potters front line in their battle for survival.

Beattie, who played 5 times for his country in 2002, gathered a whole host of top flight experience, including 81 goals, before making a £4m switch to Championship side Sheffield United in the summer of 2007 after a forgettable time at Everton left him short of confidence.

His best performances came whilst at Southampton and it was at St. Mary's that he caught the eye of then national manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Signed for an initial £2m, a fee that could rose to £3m with clauses.

One of the most important signings in recent years as his instant goals helped the Potters sail away from the bottom of the league and into mid table.

Instantly struck up a geat understanding with strike partner Fuller but after that fantastic first six months he returned overweight and seemingly disinterested.

After being dropped he had a row with the manager over the Christmas party, where the manager is alleged to have headbutted the striker, an action Beattie tried to sue for.

He made a couple of brief sub appearances in the second half of the season but was then sold to Rangers, for £1.5m, the day before the Potters opened the 2010/11 season

.

Liam Lawrence#7Centre midfielder, right or left wingerd.o.b: 14/12/81Signed/Sold: October 2006/August 2010Games in last season: 0Goals in last season: 0Total club games: 108/17Total club goals: 24

Signed for £500,000 from Sunderland in January 2007 after originally joining on loan two months earlier.

Scored early goals versus Cardiff at home and the only goal versus Ipswich away then celebrated his transfer with a goal away at Preston after 2 minutes but the Potters let the lead slip and lost 3-2.

Has played on the right wing during most of his Stoke career and always looks to get in the box to threaten the opposition goal. Works well with Hoefkens down the right and doesn't mind tracking back to help out his full back.

Suffered a hip injury during the last home game of the season against Colchester that ruled him out of the crucial last game against QPR but didn't keep him out of any of the following season.

Was player of the year for 2007/8, scoring 15 goals and landing 16 assists, the best in the league.

Was desperate to show he can hack it in the top flight but his form deserted him at the start of the season before falling over his dog on the stairs at home in September.

Returned to the side, and form, for the final dozen games, scoring in crucial wins over Blackburn and Hull whilst providing width and energy to the right wing.

The Potters second season in the top flight saw him dogged by niggling injuries and he also found himself frozen out for long spells after a fall out with manager Tony Pulis.

After picking up an injury days before the start of the 2010/11 season he missed the first three games before, moving to Portsmouth as part of the deal which saw City sign Marc Wilson.

David Kitson#12Strikerd.o.b:21/01/80Signed/Sold: July 2008/August 2010Games in last season: 0Goals in last season: 0Total club games: 23/17Total club goals: 5

Signed for a then club record £5.5m fee in July 2008.

Was the first signing of the summer and showed that the club meant business in their fight to stay in the Premier League for more than just one season.

A proven top flight goalscorer, only 4 English strikers scored more than his 10 Premier League goals the season prior to his arrival at Stoke, and manager Tony Pulis hoped he could recreate that and fire the Potters to safety.

Uncapped, although a call up to Fabio Capello's first England squad in January 2008 was on the cards until an injury scuppered his chances.

Failed to find the net in 18 games before returning to Reading on loan. He couldn't help the Royals to promotion so returned to the Potters where he retuirned to the side for the start of the 2009/10 season scoring five goals in 22 games before being dropped for good by Tony Pulis after a serious show of dissent when subbed off in the 7-0 defeat to Chelsea.

After a summer of training with the youth team he left the Potters for Pompey three games into 2010/11 season as part of the Marc Wilson signing.

Tuncay Sanli#20Striker, Right winger, Left winger, Attacking midfielderd.o.b: 16/1/82Signed/Sold: August 2009/January 2011Games in last season: 9/9Goals in last season: 3Total club games: 26/29Total club goals : 8

Signed for £5.5m from Middlesbrough just 5 days before the transfer deadline for 2009/10. Full of energy, spirirt and determination the Turkish international, he has over 70 caps for his country, initially became a firm fans favourite as he continued to show those qualities.

Versatility means he can be asked to play any attacking role in the side although that didn't help him get a place in the side immediately, having to wait until December before he started a league game.

Showed great glimpses of what hes capable of but overall was a little disappointing as he blew hot and cold, although this could have been down to him failing to have a good run of games up front, and being asked to play out of his favoured position behind the frontman.

Best performance came in the 3-2 win over Fulham, on a freezing night in January, but he was subbed off after half an hour, after scoring once and playing a key role in two more goals to see us 3-0 up.

Had a few strops which damaged his rapport with the fans, continually walks down the tunnel when subbed off, rather than watching the remainder of the game, and has been booed more than once for this. Manager Pulis insisted he had no problems with the Turkish star though.

Was a big name signing and one for TP to point to when fans get restless about a lack of early signings during transfer windows.

Started his second Potters season with a great pre-season but very few first team chances until late on in 2010, where he was given a run in the team before leaving for Wolfsburg on January transfer deadline day 2011, for £4.5m. Before he left he did score what will be a strong contender for Goal of the Season with a fantastic strike against Manchester United.

Eidur Gudjohnsen#7Striker, Centre midfieldd.o.b: 15/9/78Signed/Sold: August 2010/January 2011Games in last season: 0/5Goals in last season: 0Total club games: 0/5Total club goals: 0

Icelandic icon who has played for Bolton, Chelsea, Barcelona, Monaco and Tottenham.

Joined on deadline day 2010 from Monaco after the clubs agreed a £2m fee, and after a tour of the ground Gudjohnsen agreed a 12 month deal, with the option of a further two seasons if both parties agree.

Can play as the main striker, in the hole behind the main striker and also as an attacking central midfielder but lack of fitness led to him struggling to get in the Potters team and after a frustrating 6 months he joined Fulham with half an hour left in the transfer window.

Promising young goalkeeper who came on leaps and bounds in 2007/8 to earn himself a one year professional contract.

Never made an appearance during a three month stay at Bristol Rovers but will have gained from the matchday experience.

Was given a new deal and joined Vauxhall Motors on a six month loan deal before spending the second half of the season at Worcester City.

He returned to the Potters a couple of weeks before the end of the season with an injury and was given a six month deal by Stoke to allow the club to pass judgement on how he has improved over the last 12 months.

The 6 months passed but he was then released by the club as he hadn't improved enough to merit another contract.

John Carew#22Strikerd.o.b: 5/9/79Signed/Sold: January 2011/June 2011Games in last season: 9/4Goals in last season: 2Total club games: 9/4Total club goals: 2

Burly striker who has joined on loan for the second half of the 2010/11 season from Aston Villa although he has already said how he is hoping for a permanent deal with his Villa contract up in the summer.

Proven at the very top level, he has scored goals in Europes top leagues throughout his career.

Scored 17 goals in the 09/10 season and he had been at the forefront of Villa having three successive top 6 finishes in the Premier League, netting 45 goals in those three seasons.

A fall out with new Villa boss Gerard Houllier had seen him sit out most of this season upto joining the Potters.

Scored a couple of early goals and looked a menace before a back injury halted his progress. Officially released from Villa but may return to the Potters in time.

Abdoulaye Faye#25Centre back, central midfieldd.o.b 26/2/78Signed/Sold: August 2008/June 2011Games in last season: 14/2Goals in last season: 1Total club games: 81/3Total club goals: 6

Signed for a bargain £2.25m from Newcastle United as the Potters aimed to add some steel to their defence.

Described by the Geordie faithful as their best all round defender and many were shocked and disappointed to see him leave, especially for such a small fee.

Was also linked with a move back to Bolton, where he started his English career before following Sam Allardyce to St. James Park, but chose the Potters instead.

Fast became a fans favourite for his uncompromising style and ability not to panic in any situation and scooped all awards at the end of season do and its hard to disagree with that as he proved himself to be a rock in defence.

Took the on field captaincy from Griffin in the new year and was an inspiration. His presence has helped bring the best out of Ryan Shawcross and the two form a formidable partnership during the Potters opening Premier League campaign.

The clubs second season in the Premier League was less successful for Faye as he was sent off away at Hull, got caught out numerous times trying to do silly things under pressure and was withdrawn numerous times, usually in the first half hour, as he struggled to get full fitness.

Many supporters now felt that Faye should be benched, with Shawcross partnered by Huth in the middle, and after a couple of mistakes early in the 2010/11 season that is exactly what happened.

Faye struggled to get any game time after that but one performance of note was his superb display against Arsenal at the Britannia when he stepped off the bench to replace the injured Huth and was exceptional.

Was released in June 2011, joining West Ham on a free but the Potters fans will forever remain grateful for that amazing first season that went a long way to keeping the club in the top flight.

Ibrahima Sonko#33Centre backd.o.b: 22/1/81Signed/Sold: August 2008/June 2011Games in last season: 0Goals in last season: 0Total club games: 10/7Total club goals: 0

‘Superman’ as he was known by Reading fans, a giant defender with a reputation as a no nonsense approach and was the 4th Senegalese player to sign for the Potters in 8 months.

Sonko was signed from Reading for £2m and went with the blessing of Steve Coppell. Loved by all at the Madjeski Stadium, he made a decent start to his Stoke career, overcoming an early niggling injury to put some impressive displays in before a groin injury against Spurs saw him miss the defeat to Manchester City and only make the bench against Sunderland, with Ryan Shawcross taking his place for both matches.

A few blunders didn't help his confidence and his performances never picked up again as he was loaned out to Hull for 2009/10.

After numerous early blunders for the Tigers he was dropped by then Hull boss Phil Brown and it was six months before he played again, after Brown had been sacked, and returned to the Potters after Hull were relegated.

Joined Portsmouth for 2010/11 but has already made several blunders and was a boo-boy with the Fratton Park faithful. His Stoke contract ended in the summer and the club unsuprisingly released him.

David Parton#43GoalkeeperSigned/Sold: Academy/June 2011Games in last season: 0Goals conceded in last season: 0Clean sheets in last season: 0Total club games: 0Total club goals conceded.clean sheets : 0/0

Promising goalkeeper who was given a squad number when an unused sub in the Carling Cup 2nd round tie at Leyton Orient in August 2009, when he was aged just 16.

Was the only goalkeeper on the books of the U18 side during both his years with the side, heimpressed immensely and looked set for a big future.

Clive Clarke remarked on Radio Stoke during the Carling Cup tie at Leyton Orient that the Potters had fought off competition from several 'big' clubs during the summer to keep the youngster.

Trained with the Potters first team keepers Thomas Sorensen and Asmir Begovic to continue his progression, and had a loan spell at Worcester to aid that progression but was released at the end of 2010/11, raising eyebrows amongst some City supporters.